1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electronic counters. More specifically, the invention relates to a power reduction method for an electronic counter.
2. Background Art
Electronic counters have a wide variety of uses. One example is use in measuring meters that kept track of volumetric flow. These meters are commonly used by utilities to keep track of the consumption of an end user. For example, utility companies that supply water to their customers typically charge for their product based on usage. Usage of water is typically measured by a meter that is installed for each individual customer on their respective water supply line. A utility company employee periodically (usually once a month) manually collects the reading from the meter. These readings are usually cumulative, so the amount of usage for the present period is calculated by subtracting the reading from the previous period. Once the usage is calculated, the customer is billed for that amount of water used during that period.
Manually reading water usage meters is labor intensive, time consuming expensive, and subject to human error especially for residential customers because each meter monitors relatively little water usage as compared with larger, commercial customers. As a result, electronic meters have been used to allow for quicker, more efficient, and more accurate collection of water usage data. The electronic meters measure water usage by monitoring the water flow through a conventional, mechanical fluid meter. The usage readings are stored in an electronic counter and then transmitted via radio signals to a local transmitter/receiver operated by the utility.
However, electronic meters require a power source. Typically, such a meter relies on a battery for power. The battery must be replaced manually, which is another time consuming and expensive process. Additionally, if the battery fails, the utility may be unable to determine the correct water usage at the meter and consequently under bill the customer. Also, the data processing components of such meter typically use non-volatile memory that can preserve the data from the meter if the power fails. All of the power consumption characteristics of such meters make power efficiency very desirable.